Brick Veneer Options

What do you think about slicing brick so it’s 1-inch thick, then gluing it to the outside walls of a garage I’m planning to build myself? I’d like this garage to match the brick on our house. What are the pros and cons of my idea?

I like masonry a lot, so I’m glad you want to use it on your new garage. Masonry exteriors look great and are exceptionally durable when created properly. That said, I’d recommend against cutting brick and gluing it on your garage. I’ve seen this work well indoors, but strategies like these often age poorly outside. This operation would also be expensive and time consuming. Instead, you should consider one of three other options, the first of which is my favourite.

Traditional Brick Veneer

This is my personal preference, and is made of 4-inch wide bricks laid on an extension of the building foundation, with a one inch air space between the brick and the wooden wall frame. This is almost certainly how your house is built, so it’s a good approach if matching is important. Many otherwise handy people shy away from real brick as a DIY option, and that’s a shame. If you’ll be building an entire garage yourself, you can probably do a great job with brick. In fact, it would be easier and take less time than your plan for sawing and gluing. I’ve spent time looking for the best educational books and DVDs on bricklaying, and I’ve found several excellent resources.

There are two other options to consider, and both involve engineered wall systems that fasten thin layers of masonry to the outside walls of your building using metal clips. One method I know of uses no mortar, while the other is designed to have mortar applied after installation, for a more authentic look. The only problem I can see in your case is that it’s unlikely you’ll find a very close match to the brick of your house.

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